Salmonella worry prompts Whole Foods recall of prepared food

Whole Foods is recalling a number of prepared foods that contain baby spinach because of a potential contamination of salmonella, the second recall this week involving the bacteria.

The affected products include salads, pizza, sandwiches, bowls, stuffed salmon and wraps, were sold at 19 stores in New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island. No illnesses have been reported, according to the company.

Whole Foods also said items containing baby spinach purchased from its salad bars or hot bars in the affected states through Jan. 23 should be thrown out.

The recall was prompted by routine sampling by the Florida Department of Agriculture and New York State Department of Agriculture.

General Mills this week voluntarily recalled 5-pound bags of Gold Medal Unbleached Flour after a sampling. No consumers have contacted the company about Salmonella, according to a statement by the Food and Drug Administration.

According to the CDC, most people infected with salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after being exposed to the bacteria. The illness usually lasts four to seven days and most people recover without treatment.

In some people, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other places in the body. In rare cases, Salmonella infection can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics.

It affects children younger than 5 years of age, adults older than 65 years of age, and people with weakened immune systems the most.